Convenience Stores Can Create Personalized Experiences Through Payment-Powered Loyalty Programs

A new comprehensive study by ZipLine, a provider of private-label debit mobile and card payments to the convenience store industry, reveals that consumers who join payment-powered loyalty programs spend more and their frequency levels are higher.

For the study, ZipLine analyzed historical data for 165,000 members enrolled between January 2015 and December 2016.

In the 2017 ZipLine Purchase Lift Model Study, consumers who joined one of ZipLine’s payment-as-loyalty programs showed an overall 35 percent lift in transactions and fuel sold. What’s more, it indicated that among customers who join a private-label debit loyalty program, 83 percent become active users.

Here are some key increases from the study that convenience store operators saw chainwide:

An average of four visits per member per month (compared to three visits during month one of program implementation)

An average of 44 gallons per member per month (compared to 33 gallons)

An average 93 dollars spent per member per month (compared to $70)

The heaviest participants, known as the Super Adopters, showed a 135 percent increase in purchasing.

“Online, retailers can easily track when people shop and what they shop for,” said ZipLine CMO Kristin Bailey. “By replicating the models online retailers employ, convenience stores can create personalized shopping experiences for individual customers. This is the future of loyalty programs.”

ZipLine offers a payment-powered loyalty program tied to a convenience store-branded debit card. It enables retailers to collect and analyze purchase-related data to create individualized consumer experiences that drive repeat business. Until now, traditional retailers were limited in their ability to collect this level of data.
For example, customers who regularly grab lunch on the go could be rewarded with a sweet treat at checkout.

Zipline officials plan to build on their study findings. In the spring of 2018, ZipLine will introduce a new program, ZipLine Rewards, which will provide retailers with next-level technologies, including mobile technology, to surprise and delight customers with relevant rewards that motivate loyalty and increase sales.

The study notes that, according to Business Insider, mobile payments, powered by debit cards and loyalty programs, could rise by a compound annual growth rate of 80 percent from now through 2020.

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